Did you see the woman with the alligator on the Blue Line?

Police seek woman who was on Blue Line with gator. (Posted on: November 13, 2013)

Police seek woman who was on Blue Line with gator. (Posted on: November 13, 2013)

By Carlos SadoviTribune reporter

The riders on the Blue Line to O'Hare don't appear alarmed as the woman cradles and pets a 2-foot-long alligator, at one point holding it up as if showing it off.

Now the woman is the subject of a search because authorities believe she left the alligator at the airport, where it was found hiding under an escalator in the lower level of Terminal 3, according to police. The unexpected trespasser, since dubbed O'Hare and Allie, has been transferred to the care of the Chicago Herpetological Society.

Thanks to social media, CTA officials were able to find an image showing the woman and the alligator. That led them to figure out that the reptile that ended up at O'Hare first took a ride on an "L" train with a little help.

CTA officials were able to capture images of the woman as she boarded a northbound Blue Line train at the Pulaski station at 1:17 a.m. on Nov. 1, according to CTA Spokeswoman Tammy Chase.

As the woman got into the train car, officials said interior cameras show the woman holding the alligator in her hands and even showing it to other passengers, officials said.

At 2:17 a.m., the same woman is seen exiting the train with the alligator at the O’Hare Blue Line terminal, according to the CTA. At 2:44 a.m, she is seen near the turnstiles of the O’Hare station, this time without the alligator in view, Chase said.

Anyone with information is being asked to contact the CTA’s customer service line at 1-888-YOUR-CTA (1-888-968-7282) or feedback@transitchicago.com.

Those responsible for dumping the gator at O'Hare can face a misdemeanor charge of cruel treatment of an animal or face a fine of between $300 and $1,000 for cruelty to animals for abandoning the animal in a public place, Chase said.

The Chicago Cubs on Tuesday sought City Hall permission to expand construction hours at Wrigley Field, with bleacher work falling well behind schedule on the team's $375 million ballpark renovation project.